Social correspondence card construction



Nov. 14,- 1967 F. KIRCHQF 3,352,481

SOCIAL CORRESPONDENCE CARD CONSTRUCTION Filed April 13, 1966 Him...

INVENTOR. FRED KIRCHOF ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,352,481 SOCIALCORRESPONDENCE CARD CONSTRUCTION Fred Kirchof, R0. Box 1223, Scottsdale,Ariz. 85252 Filed Apr. 13, 1966, Ser. No. 542,316 1 Claim. (Cl. 22992.1)

This application is a continuation-in-part of my prior copendingapplication Ser. No. 387,155 filed Aug. 3, 1964, now abandoned.

This invention relates to a social correspondence card construction.

More particularly, the invention concerns a social correspondence cardconstruction which is adapted to be releasably sealed after writingthereon and to present to the recipient the appearance of a sealedprivate communication.

In another aspect, the invention relates to a social cor- Icspondencecar-d construction adapted to be mailed or otherwise transmitted fromthe writer to the recipient thereof without the use of an envelope.

In a still further aspect, the invention relates to novel socialcorrespondence card constructions which are releasably scalable andwhich, after opening by the recipient, present a pleasing and sociallyproper aesthetic appearance without torn or otherwise mutilated portionsbut which, nevertheless, are scalable after writing and which can remainin such sealed and private condition during transport thereof from thewriter to the recipient.

Social correspondence is typically and commonly carried out by writingthe desired message upon stationery of suitable weight, color andproportions, folding the stationery and inserting the same in a mailingenvelope which is then sealed for delivery to the recipient. In general,the use of so-called postcards is not common for social correspondenceinasmuch as the contents thereof are not maintained private duringtransport from the writer to the recipient. This lack of privacydetracts seriously from the social acceptability of such communications,and postcards have generally been limited to use in semi-business-typecorrespondence, advertising, and short informal messages. In an attemptto remedy the displeasing aesthetic character of messages written onpostcards, it has been proposed to provide various constructions whichcan be sealed after writing and thereafter opened by the recipient ofthe message. However, such previous constructions require the use oftabs, scalable flaps, or other projections which detract from theappearance of the card before writing and, when received, must be tornor otherwise displaced so as to provide an even more displeasingaesthetic appearance after opening by the recipient.

It would be highly advantageous to provide a social correspondence cardwhich, for both the'letter writer and the recipient, is perfectlyrectangular in shape and which avoids the use of any perforations ormechanical contrivances or interlocking notches, die cuts or separatelyattached extraneous sealing devices.

Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention toprovide a social correspondence card which is releasable scalable afterwriting and which, when opened a by the recipient, presents a clean,aesthetic, unmarred and untorn appearance.

Another principal object of'the invention is the provision of such areleasably scalable social correspondence card which is openable at oralong the point of sealing thereof and which, after opening, does notvisibly disclose the means for releasable seahng thereof.

7 A still further object of the invention is the provision of suchsocial correspondence card constructions which suit the requirements ofsocial stationery but which pro- 3,352,481 Patented Nov. 14, 1967 videthe convenience in handling and mailing heretofore provide-d byso-called common postcards.

Yet another object of the invention is the provision of a socialcorrespondence card construction meeting the requirements of socialstationery in terms of aesthetic appearance and the ability to presentthe appearance of a sealed private communication.

These and other, further, and more specific objects and advantages ofthe invention will become apparent to persons skilled in the art fromthe following detailed description of the invention taken in conjunctionwith the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a social correspondence card constructionembodying the present invention, the card being shown in its openedcondition ready for writing or reading;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the card construction of FIG. 1 chosenfor purposes of illustration in which the card is partially folded toshow the method of sealing thereof;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the construction of FIGS. 1-2 taken alongsection line 33 of FIG. 2.

Briefly, in accordance with the invention, I provide a socialcorrespondence card construction which is adapted to be releasablyself-sealed and which presents the appearance of a sealed privatecommunication to the recipient thereof comprising a rectangularly shapedcard having upper and lower edges and provided with a transverse scoredfold line located closer to the bottom edge than to the top edgethereof. The fold line divides the rectangularly shaped card into anupper panel and a lower panel adapted to fold upwardly against saidupper panel along the fold line. The face of the card is provided with awriting area which includes the entire area of the lower panel and thatportion of the upper panel which is masked by the lower panel when it isfolded upwardly along the fold line into contact with the upper panel.The face of the card also is provided with a writing-free area on thecard which is defined by that portion of the upper panel which remainsvisible when the lower panel is folded upwardly. The writing-free areaincludes a decorative emblem area which is horizontally locatedgenerally closer to the center of the card than to the sides thereof anda return-address area which may be conveniently located in any otherportion of the writing-free area not occupied by the decorative emblemarea.

In order to provide for concealing the self-sealing adhesive bands, thecard is provided with colored areas, advantageously of a contrastingcolor and/or texture. The colored areas comprise a border situated alongthe periphery of the card and extending inwardly thereof at least adistance corresponding to the thickness of the self-sealing adhesivebands and a lower portion of the decorative emblem area.

The releasably self-sealing adhesive bands are, correspondingly,situated along the sides of the card from the bottom edge upwardly tosubstantially the lower portion of the writing-free area, along thelower portion of the decorative emblem area, and along a portion of thelower edge of the card which is in a position to register with the lowerportion of the decorative emblem area when the lower panel is foldedupwardly along the fold line.

The present invention utilizes the type of cohesive but inadhesivematerial commonly found in so-called selfsealing envelopes, which is alatex material Well known in the envelope art under the term dry sealingadhesive, which has been appropriately modified as hereinafter describedto allow opening the card construction by release of the adhesive at thepoint of sealing. The principal characteristic 'of the material is thattwo strips of it when brought into juxtaposition will stick to oneanother with 4) sufficient tenacity to form a releasable seal, but willnot stick to any other objects. Accordingly, when the unused cards arestacked in an appropriate box or bag for display and sale thereof, thecards will not stick together as the adhesive strips will merely contactthe rear surface of the next card in the stack.

The colored areas are advantageously provided by imprinting with aprinting ink of a color which contrasts markedly with the remainder ofthe surface area of the card. The colored areas function to mask andconceal the presence of the self-sealing adhesive bands from both thewriter and the recipient of the card construction. Although theself-sealing adhesive bands are generally transparent, they do alter thesurface texture of the card when applied thereto and, if not masked byapplication to a colored or suitably different textured area, theydetract from the aesthetic appearance of the card and, thereby, reduceits acceptability as social correspondence stationery.

Turning now to the drawings which, taken in conjunction with thedetailed description thereof, will enable persons skilled in the art topractice the invention and to identify the presently preferredembodiments thereof, FIG. 1 is a plan view of a correspondence cardconstruction embodying the features and advantages of the presentinvention. The card is generally rectangular in shape, as shown, and isprovided with a scored transverse fold line 2 located closer to thebottom edge 3 than to the top edge 4. When the bottom panel, generallyindicated by reference character A, is folded upwardly along the foldline 2 into contact with the upper panel, generally indicated byreference character B, that portion of the card below the dashed line 5is not visible and, therefore, provides a writing area for the placementof a message which can be mantained private during transmission of themessage to the recipient. That portion of the card which lies above thedashed line 5 remains visible during transmission of the message and ismaintained free of writing. The writing-free area above the dashed line5 includes a decorative emblem area 6 and an area 7 which is used for areturn address. The decorative emblem area 6 functions to provide acolored area 8 extending slightly below the dashed line 5, the functionof which will be explained later. The card is provided with a border 9along the peripheral edges thereof. This border 9 and the lower portionof the decorative emblem area 8 are suitably imprinted with ink of acolor or texture contrasting markedly from the surface of the remainderof the card to provide concealment of the strips of self-sealingadhesive 10 located along the sides ofthe card and the strip 10a locatedalong a portion of the bottom edge of the card which registers with amating strip disposed in the lower portion 8 of the decorative emblemarea.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the card of FIG. 1 partially foldedto illustrate the mating of the adhesive surfaces 21 disposed along theedges thereof and the strips 22 located along a portion of the bottomedge of the card and the strip 22a located along the bottom portion ofthe decorative emblem area. After the message is written, the bottompanel, generally indicated by reference character A, is merely foldedupwardly along the fold line 23 into releasably sealable contact withthe upper panel, generally indicated by reference character B. The pairof adhesive strips 22 and 22a provide a necessary sealing pointintermediate the edges of the card but, as illustrated, need notnecessarily be placed horizontally in the exact center of the card.Rather, it is only necessary that the strips 22 and 22a be placed in anarea generally closer to the center of the card than to the edgesthereof.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the card of FIGS. 1-2 taken alongsection line 3-3 of FIG. 2. The bottom panel, indicated by referencecharacter A, folds upwardly, after the message is written, against theupper panel, indicated by reference character B, bringing the adhesivestrips 21 into releasably sealing contact, thereby sealing 4 the edgesof the folded card to provide substantial privacy for the contents ofthe message.

As will be apparent from FIG. 3, the portion indicated by referencecharacter C of the upper panel B which extends above the lower edge ofthe lower panel A when the card is folded provides a backing againstwhich the finger 31 of the recipient may be positioned to convenientlyand rapidly locate the opening between the panels A and B, permittingthe panel A to be retracted from its releasably sealed position to openthe card construction for reading the contents thereof.

The following example illustrates the presently preferre'd method ofproviding the self-sealing adhesive strips mentioned hereabove.

Example A so-called rubber cement which is latex material commerciallyavailable under the tradename Carters Rubber Cement from the Carters InkCo., Cambridge, Mass., was thinned by mixing one part by volume ofthinner with three parts of the rubber cement and thoroughly mixing thetwo materials. The thinner was a petroleum fraction commonly known asnaphtha and is commercially obtainable under the tradename CartersThinner" from the same source as the rubber cement.

The purpose of adding the thinner is to render the adhesive releasableat the point of sealing. The exact proportions of rubber cement andthinner are not highly critical and it is only necessary to reduce thebond strength sufiiciently by adding thinner to the cement to permit theseal to be parted by breaking the adhesive bond rather than tearing thepaper substrate.

For best results, I apply the thinned adhesive in a i wide band ofapproximately 1-2 mils thickness.

Various minor and immaterial modifications of the embodiment of theinvention chosen for purposes of illustration will occur to thoseskilled in the art having regard for the disclosure hereof. To theextent that such minor and immaterial variations do not depart from thespirit of the invention, they are intended to be included within thescope of the invention which is defined by a just interpretation of thefollowing claims.

Having fully described my invention and the presently preferredembodiments thereof, I claim: 7

A social correspondence card construction which is adapted to bereleasably self-sealed and which presents the appearance of a sealedprivate communication to the recipient thereof, comprising:

(a) a rectangularly shaped card substantially free of perforation andhaving upper and lower edges and being divided by a transverse scoredfold line located closer to the bottom edge than to the top edge into(1) an upper panel, having substantially continuous sides, and

(2) a lower panel having substantially continuous sides, adapted to foldupwardly against said upper panel along said fold line;

(b) a writing area on said card including (1) the entire area of saidlower panel, and

(2) that portion of said upper panel which is masked by said lower panelwhen said lower panel is folded upwardly as aforesaid;

(c) a writing-free area on said card defined by that portion of saidupper panel which remains visible when said lower panel is foldedupwardly as aforesaid, said writing-free area including 7 (l) Adecorative emblem area horizontally located generally closer to thecenter of said card than to the sides thereof, and

(2) a return address area;

(d) colored areas on said card for concealing selfsealing adhesive bandscomprising (1) a border situated along the periphery of said card andextending inwardly thereof at least a distance corresponding to thethickness of said self-sealing adhesive bands, and

6 (2) a lower portion of said decorative emblem said bands, aftersealing, being mutually releasable at the area; point of sealing withoutdamage to the card substrate.

(e) self-sealing adhesive bands situated (1) along the sides of saidcard from the bottom References Cited edge upwardly to substantially thelower portion 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS of said writing-free area,2,676,702 4/ 1954 Whitefoot. (2) along the lower portion of saiddecorative 2,910,222 10/1959 Bermingham, et al. 229-73 emblem area, and(3) along the lower edge of said card in a position FOREIGN PATENTS toregister with said lower portion of said deco- 0 78,659 10/1919Austriarative emblem area when said lower panel is 63'735 7/1945Dmmarkfolded upwardly as aforesaid; DAVID M. BOCKENEK, Primary Examiner.

